Dan vs Tears
by Blahwhatsittoya
Summary: Chris finds Dan crying in his doorway, but what for? Being Dan's only friend, Chris is moved to comfort Dan in his most dire time of need.


Chris spat the remaining water and tooth paste out into the sink. Stepping out of the bathroom and switching the light off, he walked to his bed and climbed into it. Elise was asleep next to him, and for her normally rested face was not looking so rested. No wonder she didn't. Dan was sleeping over for the night, just until the construction people finished the rest of the building. When he finally snuggled under the blankets, he closed his tired eyes and fell asleep.

Not even, or it seemed, a moment after he closed his eyes, he heard a creaking sound echoing from his door. He sat up and looked around his room. There, hiding behind the door stood Dan, staring in at Chris silently. "Dan! What are you doing?" He asked sternly. Dan stepped back a little. "I…I…" He stuttered. His voice sounded crackly as if he was choking on something from the back of his throat. Chris ground.

"What did you do this time?" he asked a bit louder. Dan walked into the room slowly. "I had a nightmare." He said quietly, his head hung low so Chris couldn't see his face. "Dan? What do you mean you had a nightmare? You never have nightmares." He said standing up and walking over to Dan. Suddenly, he noticed something different about Dan's appearance. Were those tears on his cheeks?

"Dan?"

Dan turned his face away from Chris and sniffled, rubbing his eyes. Chris took his friends hand gently and knelt down to his height. "Dan, are you okay?" he asked in a whisper. Dan looked at Chris, tears flooding his eyes. He shook his head. Chris, not able to understand why Dan was feeling this way, sat his friend down on the floor and scooted up next to him. He placed an arm around him and sat there, staring at his friend.

"Dan," Chris whispered. "Why did you have a nightmare?"

Dan pushed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Chris and pulled his legs up to his chest. Chris looked at him and then at the paper in his hands. He unfolded it and looked at it strangely. There, written in black and white was a message to Dan himself, telling him that his mother and father's bodies were found in their living room the night before. Chris sat staring at it, his mouth wide open.

"Dan…I'm…I'm sorry." He whispered. Dan wiped his eyes. "Yeah, well…it wasn't like it was your fault." He replied. Chris looked down at him and smiled. "Does someone need a hug?" He asked. Dan sat still for a moment. The dark quiet seeped about the two, nothing disturbed it but Dan's sudden deep breathing.

Chris didn't expect Dan to say yes, it wasn't normal for Dan to even let his tears surface. He always kept them under wraps. He had never seen Dan cry, even when they were children, Dan never cried. When his father would hit him for missing a question in a quiz when Dan would have Chris over after school, he never cried. When his mother would scream at him that he was a stupid brat and that she hated him, he would never cry. Chris would have cried, and in fact did when Dan's dad scared him enough.

But for some strange reason, Dan shoved his shaking head into Chris's side and clutched his shirt as tight as he could. Chris was amazed Dan had done so, and in turn wrapped his arm around his jittering friend. Chris lowered his head near Dan's and told him it would be okay. Dan's face was bright red from embarrassment and he tried so hard not to let his tears rule him. Chris could tell he was struggling not to let himself cry.

"Dan. You can cry. I won't judge you. I'm your friend." Dan tightened his grip on Chris's shirt and from his shaking frame came a sob. "I….I want to be strong….I don't want to cry." He sobbed. Chris pulled his friend into a full hug, holding him close to his chest and letting his head press up against his neck. Dan's shaking worsened and his sobs grew louder. Chris hushed him quietly and rubbed his back. "I know you're hurting Dan. I know." He whispered. Dan pushed his head close to Chris's shirt and finally let his tears go.

When the morning finally came, Dan had fallen asleep on the couch with Chris next to him. Milk sat on the coffee table with a half bitten into cookie. Elise walked into the room and found the two. She smiled and took the blanket she held in her arms and spread it over the two friends.

The End


End file.
